8 Myths about Life Coaches.

Although life coaching is getting more and more popular there is still a lot of misconceptions and unknowns about who it is for, what it entails and how it works.

Here are 8 common myths that people assume about life coaching and life coaches.

1. Your life coach will give you the answer:

I mean this would be amazing and a super easy solution, but no. A one size fits all style answer that you often get from self help books or motivational speakers can work for some but in life coaching we think the person with the best answer is you. We offer the tools and support you need to find it and guide you to working towards it.

You know the ins and outs of the situation and yourself as well as what motivates you better than any expert. You already have the answer you just need a bit of help finding it.

2. You only need one if you have a problem, are struggling or are feeling lost:

Does a football team only have a coach when they are losing games? Your life coach is someone who is there to support you and who believes in you 100% and wants the best out come for you from any situation. Having someone in your corner is great when things are good, bad and anywhere in between.

3. A coach is the same as a therapist or teacher:

This is a super common misconception. If you think of a class at school a teacher does 90% of the talking and as a student you have to take notes and comprehend. If you think of a session with a therapist leading questions are used to try and make a diagnosis and find the route of thoughts and feelings.

A session with a life coach is completely different a life coach does 90% of the listening and creates a safe and secure space for you to look into yourself to find your own truths and answers with out having to know all the details of any situation.

A teacher also will set you tasks / homework which you have to do. With a life coach you come up with your own goals and a time line to achieve these within and you are only accountable to yourself as to whether you get these done and move to where you want to be.

4.You need to know what you want to achieve before you hire a coach:

Not at all, a life coach can help you find space in your life where you may feel something is lacking, discover what that lack is and help you move towards filling the space. A life coach can help you find a better understanding of your values so you can focus more time and energy on the things that are most important to you leading to a much more fulfilled lifestyle.

5. You will need to tell your life coach all the ins and outs of your life:

I mean you can if you really want to, but it's not necessary. You will ultimately be finding your on answer and truth and you already know all the details. As your coach I know the ways to find the answer and can help you give yourself the time and space. As well a a judgement free opinion and a second view point to consider.

6. A life coach is expensive and having one is a luxury:

Can you put a price on a more fulfilled life? I guarantee you are dong things currently to make yourself feel better and happier. Such as going for a massage, going out for dinner or drinks, retail therapy .. and so on. It only seems like an expense because its a new expenditure, but it doesn't have to be on going and you can do sessions bi weekly over a few months to really see an on going result. You can book six sessions, do something amazing for yourself and improve your whole mindset. As well as release yourself from bad habits and limiting beliefs and give yourself the life you want.

7. Coaching only works face to face:

Coaching can be done in face to face session (in a pre and post covid world) but it also really commonly done over video calls or even a normal call. As long as you have a space where you can move around and feel comfortable talking then you can be coached. A lot of people find it easier to do visualisations in their own space and even to open up to their own thoughts and ideas. It also makes sessions super easy to fit in even if you have a busy lifestyle.

8. It is the same as talking to friends or family:

Talking to friends and family is great... but life coaches are literally trained in the art of listening. Friends and family will often want to give advice and share their opinions. Any opinion they share will have selfish elements as that is natural. It doesn't mean their advice is coming from a bad place but they are involved in your life. They may be worried about you trying something new, in case it doesn't work out and they don't want to see you upset. Or worried about you succeeding knowing a new venture will take up more of your time and not want to lose the time they have with you.The art of listening done by a life coach creates a judgment free zone where you can really explore and have your own time to process what you think is best with a supportive and focused coach who's whole priority through out your session is just you.